


Intersecting

by Fangirl_fanatic



Series: The ways I show you that I love you [3]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Kinda but not really, fluff for literal days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_fanatic/pseuds/Fangirl_fanatic
Summary: "Chris?" Tobin asks into the dark, her face heating up slightly, after an hour of flopping and trying to ignore the light coming from Christen's phone."Yeah?" Christen turns her head, not surprised that she's awake but confused."Can we cuddle?"Christen huffs out a laugh and sets her phone down on the nightstand. "Yeah, come 'ere."Or100 touches throughout the years
Relationships: Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Series: The ways I show you that I love you [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763359
Comments: 34
Kudos: 259





	Intersecting

**Author's Note:**

> My motto for this one was “accuracy is overrated”

[1]  
Tobin comes at the girl hard. Maybe she's being a little too competitive but, really, is that even possible when a college cup is at stake (even if it would be UNC's third in four years and Stanford's first-ever). Maybe the full-on body slam she gives the girl is a little rough but she doesn't get called for it so that's all that counts. 

[2]  
The player lets out a soft "oomph" as their bodies collide and Tobin almost feels bad when the girl practically falls off the ball. Almost. Because now her team has the ball and they're trying to make a fast break so all Tobin does is brush by the girl with a quick, sympathetic pat on the hip and then she's off.

[3]  
She high-fives the Stanford player at the end of the game. Barely. It's just a quick tap of hands and a muttering of "good game's" that are surprisingly sincere. The fleeting thought that crosses through Tobin's mind before she goes off to celebrate with her team is, "her hands are soft." Whatever. They're National Champions for the third time. 

(Tobin doesn't stop to wonder why this win feels a little bittersweet).

[4]  
They don't meet again for a long time. When they do, it's Christen Press flying in all the way from Sweden to come to a national team camp. Tobin doesn't really talk to her at first, preferring to stick to the teammates she's comfortable with but eventually, she finds the courage to sidle up to Christen with an easy smirk and her hand out. "I'm Tobin Heath, it's nice to meet you." Christen laughs but shakes her hand anyways. 

(Her hands are still soft.)

[5]  
They room together in the camp soon after. Tobin's a little nervous to be rooming with somebody she knows so little about but after they get their room keys and are heading towards the elevator, Tobin casually slings an arm around Christen's shoulder. "Well, you're stuck with me for the rest of the week."

Christen laughs and ducks under Tobin's arm with a smirk. "If you snore, I'll smother you with a pillow."

"You wouldn't dare!" Christen giggles as she bumps her shoulder against Tobin's playfully and they both almost lose hold of their suitcases when they ping off each other. 

[6]  
They're two days into the seven-day camp when Christen trips over a pair of sneakers and falls right into Tobin. When they manage to not topple onto the hotel room floor — Tobin's arms managing to hold Christen upright — they both breathe a sigh of relief. Then, Christen glares and kicks the shoes to the side. "Don't think I won't throw these shoes out the window."

"You know, you're always threatening me. Have you noticed that?"

Christen stares at Tobin's amused smile for several seconds before she nudges the sneakers again and deadpans, "It's well deserved."

[7]  
"Come on, we're gonna watch a movie," Tobin says, launching herself onto Christen's bed so that the mattress bounces dramatically. Christen raises her eyebrows, dog-earring the book she's reading. 

"And why would we do that?" Christen sets her book down. "I'm reading."

"No you're not, you haven't turned the page in ten minutes," Tobin says casually, already fiddling with the remote and searching through the TV guide. 

"Uh- what?"

"Listen, I get it. Your first national cap, it's a big deal. But I'm bored so we're watching a movie." Tobin knocks her knee against Christen's as she scrolls through the movie options, grinning when Christen sighs and scoots down so that she's laying on her back. They're shoulder to shoulder as Tobin finally decides on a movie, Christen's knee bent so that it's resting on Tobin's thigh. 

[8]  
The next day at the game, Christen scores. Twice. By the time they make it back to the hotel, after celebrating for upwards of an hour with the whole team, they're both exhausted. That doesn't mean though, that Tobin wastes the opportunity to tackle Christen into an enthusiastic hug. They both end up falling onto Christen's bed, Tobin practically crushing Christen as they laugh — high off the adrenaline of the game. 

"You fucking scored!" Tobin practically yells, Christen squirming and laughing underneath her. 

"Tobin!" Christen shrieks, an obvious blush creeping up her neck. "I can't breath."

Tobin rolls a little bit, bringing Christen with her so that they're both on their sides facing each other. "Better?" Tobin asks and, if Christen didn't know any better, she'd say she sounds breathless. 

"Much, thank you," Christen says, her chest still heaving from laughing so hard. Despite herself, she scoots a little closer to Tobin, almost imperceptibly so, but Tobin notices anyway and grins. She snakes her arm even tighter around Christen's waist and pulls herself over so that their legs are knocking against each other's. They're so close that when Christen breathes — though her breath seems to have caught in her throat — it tickles Tobin's eyelashes. Throwing all caution to the wind, Christen tucks herself right up next to Tobin and rests her head right below her chin. They stay like that until Christen nearly falls asleep. 

(It kinda becomes a thing after that.)

[9]  
Christen wakes up to somebody calling her name and a body flopping onto her bed. She blearily opens her eyes to find Tobin grinning at her, bouncing excitedly on the bed as she waits for Christen to get up. "Dude, wake up! Come on!"

"Tobin, it's," Christen pauses to roll over and look at the clock, "7 o'clock in the morning on our break day. Why am I up right now?"

"Because it's break day and we're on the coast," Tobin explains as if it's obvious but Christen just yawns and snuggles closer to her pillow. 

"I don't see why that matters," Christen mutters, eyes already fluttering closed again. She's about to try and go back to sleep when Tobin grabs onto her shoulders and shakes them aggressively. "Tobin, I swear to god—"

"I'll buy you as much coffee as you want, just please come to the beach with us?" 

Christen sighs, running a hand down her face tiredly. "Fine, but I'm not getting in the water."

"Yes, let's go!" Tobin says and drags Christen from under the covers by the wrist. 

[10]  
"You were serious about not going in the water?" Tobin asks, a small frown on her face as she raises her eyebrows. Christen shrugs, fanning out a towel on the sand so that she can lay down. 

"Yes." Christen shoves Tobin on the shoulder, making her stumble back a little bit as Christen laughs. "Now go do your thing. I'll be here with my coffee."

"Party pooper," Tobin says but she's laughing, kicking a little sand in Christen's direction before she's dragged off by Kelley. 

[11]  
Christen's just trying to get a tan — and maybe a small nap in — while she relaxes to the sound of the ocean and her teammates yelling. That is, until a cold body lands almost directly on top of her, water dripping onto Christen's previously warm skin. She doesn't even have to open her eyes before she shrieks, "Tobin!" and pushes the freezing body off of her and into the sand. When she finally opens her eyes against the blaring sun, Tobin is pouting at her with water droplets trailing down her forehead. 

"Ow, Chris," Tobin whines, rubbing at a sore spot on her hip and Christen juts wipes some of the saltwater off her stomach. 

"I thought I told you I didn't want to get wet?"

"A little water isn't going to hurt you," Tobin says and shakes her head, making drops fly and hit Christen in the face. "See."

"Go away."

(This happens two more times before they actually leave.)

[12]  
By the time Tobin gets out of the shower after washing all the saltwater off of her body, Christen is already on her bed — Tobin’s bed because god knows why — and scrolling through the TV absentmindedly. Tobin doesn't waste the opportunity to launch herself next to Christen, the mattress jumping up and down slightly. 

"What're we watching?" Tobin asks with a huge grin on her face and Christen just rolls her eyes. 

"My sister recommended this new documentary to me so..." Christen shrugs, casually flipping through the options on the screen. 

"You can get off my bed if we're going to watch a documentary," Tobin deadpans but Christen just raises her eyebrows and continues to search through Netflix. 

"It's about women's archery," Christen says with her eyes still focused on the screen, "and you owe me for waking me up at the crack of dawn."

"I already bought you coffee," Tobin points out but she settles against Christen's side anyway as she finally clicks on the movie she was looking for. 

[13]  
"I feel terrible," Christen groans, sinking down into the seat next to Tobin with a plate of salad. Tobin easily wraps an arm around the back of Christen's chair, running her hand soothingly up the side of her arm as Ash and Pinoe bicker about who knows what. 

"That's because you're sick." Tobin crinkles her nose. "Is that all you're having for dinner?"

Christen shrugs, stabbing her fork in the direction of her plate but not actually picking up any salad. "I'm nauseous."

"You should still probably eat something," Tobin says softly, watching as Christen struggles to even keep her eyes open. 

"Hmm, maybe later," Christen murmurs and then leans her head on Tobin's shoulders with her eyes shut. 

(Tobin isn't bothered, even when Christen starts to quietly snore halfway through dinner.)

[14]  
Christen flops down next to Tobin, who's laying on her bed, and sighs into a pillow. She raises her eyebrows in amusement, patting Christen on the back gently. "You good?"

Christen rolls onto her side so that she can look up at Tobin, eyes soft and sad. "I miss my family." She sighs again. "It feels like I never see them anymore."

"I'm sorry, Chris," Tobin says, wincing slightly as Christen nods slowly and tucks her head against Tobin's shoulder. 

"One more week and my parents come to our game," Christen murmurs like she's been counting down the days for a while now. 

[15]  
Tobin meets Christen's parents and she's so nervous that Christen ends up running a hand up her back and then patting her arm reassuringly as Christen's dad grills Tobin about soccer strategies. 

(Christen never says anything about it but Tobin definitely doesn't miss the curious looks she gives her.)

[16]  
"How was coffee with Julie?" Tobin asks, turning away from the hotel TV when the door clicks open. 

"Good." Christen shrugs, a smile on her face as she holds up a Starbucks cup. "I brought a drink back for you."

Tobin sits up eagerly, making an exaggerated grabbing motion at the styrofoam cup, and Christen laughs as she walks over to give it to her. As she presses the drink into Tobin's outstretched hand, Tobin leans up and presses a quick kiss to Christen's cheek. "Thanks, dude."

(The "dude" part kind of kills the moment but Christen doesn't mind.)

[17]  
"Can I come with?" Tobin asks hesitantly, her eyes flitting between Christen's face and the empty space past her shoulder. 

"You want to... come do yoga with me?" Christen has her eyebrows raised but she lowers them slightly when she sees how shy Tobin seems. When she nods Christen shrugs nonchalantly and grabs onto Tobin's arm to tug her towards the door. "Sure, let's go."

[18]  
It goes about as well as expected. 

Which means that Tobin ends up spread out on her yoga mat with a pout on her face as Christen tries to drag her off the ground. "Tobs, come on, we've got to go."

"I think you broke me," Tobin huffs, her breathing still a little ragged as she finally accepts Christen's help to stand up. 

"Well, it's your first time. You'll get better with practice." Christen shrugs but is surprised when Tobin barks out a tired laugh. 

"You're insane if you ever think I'm doing this again." Tobin shakes her head slowly, knocking her shoulder against Christen's. "I don't know how you do it, Chris. You must be superhuman."

(Tobin never comes with Christen to do yoga again and really, is that even a surprise?)

[19]  
They're watching a movie on Tobin's bed, with her back against the headboard of the bed and Christen's head resting on a pillow that's in Tobin's lap. All Tobin can think about, though, is how she needs to tell her, needs to come out, before she gets to deep into their friendship (even though Tobin secretly thinks she'd already be completely ruined if Christen doesn't accept her.)

"Chris," Tobin murmurs shyly, "I need to tell you something."

Christen raises her head up and takes note of the serious look in her, pausing the movie immediately. "Are you ok?" Christen sits ups, facing her with crisscrossed legs. 

"Please don't hate me," Tobin whispers, ducking her head. 

"I don't think that's possible, Tobs." Christen laughs softly, placing a comforting hand on Tobin's knee. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"I mean it's not a big deal or anything I just, um," Tobin glances at Christen before blurting out, "I'm gay."

"Oh." Christen stares at her for a second and Tobin's heart immediately drops in fear. "You scared me."

"Sorry," Tobin mumbles with her eyes downcast and cheeks flushed, "but you're not weirded out or anything?"

"Tobin," Christen catches her attention easily, "so am I."

"What? Wait— seriously?"

"Um, yeah, I mean, last time I checked I was queer but same general idea," Christen says and Tobin has to laugh, the tightness in her chest dissipating slowly. 

[20]  
Tobin's running her hands through Christen's hair twenty minutes later, her head back in her lap, when Christen speaks over the TV suddenly. "Tobs?"

"Yeah?" Tobin answers, slowly dragging her eyes away from the movie. She continues to fiddle with a strand of Christen's hair even as she turns her head to look up at her. 

"You don't have to be nervous to tell me things," Christen says hesitantly, like she's still deep in thought, "I'm not going to judge you for who you are as a person."

Tobin pauses, mulling over whether she should say what she wants to say. "I know, it's just, I'm kind of touchy-feely—"

"I've noticed," Christen says, cutting her off, and Tobin huffs out a laugh. 

"I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable," Tobin continues, "or, like, think I'm making a pass at you."

"Hmm, yeah, I get that," Christen says and Tobin can tell by the way her eyes go a little unfocused that she's experienced one too many lost friendships over the same thing. "But I'm not one of those people. You can tell me anything."

"Thank you," Tobin mumbles shyly, squirming a little under Christen's gaze.

(And if Tobin is a little more affectionate, a little more free, after that, well, neither of them mention it.)

[21]  
"It's freezing," Christen grits out, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she leans into Tobin in an attempt to preserve body heat. 

"What did you expect out of Pennsylvania in the middle of winter?" Tobin laughs and Christen contemplates shoving her away but instead curls up closer. "This is a poor excuse for a winter coat." Tobin tugs on the material lightly as she wraps her arm around Christen's shoulder, pulling her into her side effortlessly. 

Christen huffs. "I didn't expect it to be this cold."

[22]  
"What are you doing?" Christen asks as she watches Tobin crawl her way onto her bed and nestle into her side, batting her eyelashes innocently at Christen's question. 

"Taking a nap." Tobin closes her eyes like it'll solve all of her problems, resting her cheek on Christen's shoulder. 

"Tobin," Christen admonishes gently, "we have a game in four hours."

"I'll be awake by then," Tobin murmurs, somehow already half asleep, and Christen just sighs. 

[23]  
They're on the bus to a game and Christen is sure she's going to die — whether from pre-game anxiety or post-game embarrassment depending on how this goes, she not sure. She didn't think Tobin had noticed, she was busy talking to Pinoe about something or another, but as soon as she's turning away from the conversation, Tobin is placing a gentle hand on Christen's bouncing knee. 

"Let me braid your hair?" Tobin asks and Christen immediately whips her head up, just now realizing that she's tugging on a strand of curls roughly. 

"Huh?" She responds, a little dumbfounded as Tobin gently pulls her hand away from her hair and the strands that Christen pulled out fall to the ground. 

"Let me braid your hair?"

"I— do you even know how to braid?"

"Of course," Tobin says easily as she helps to guide Christen's back to her so that she can do her hair. "I used to love braiding my mom's hair when I was younger."

"That's cute," Christen says, nerves already disappearing a little as Tobin starts carding her hands through her curls. 

They win the game.  
(Christen scores a goal.)

[24]  
"Where'd you go?" Christen asks when Tobin's keys her way back into their hotel room. 

"For a run," Tobin says, groaning tiredly as she falls onto Christen's bed and landing almost completely on top of her. 

"Ew, Tobs!" Christen pushes Tobin off of her immediately. "Go shower, you stink."

[25]  
"What?" Tobin asks when she notices Christen staring at her, growing a little unnerved under such intense attention. 

Christen stares at her for a beat more before gesturing to her own cheek, "You've just got something... no a little higher up. Ugh, here just let me..."

Christen bats away Tobin's hand, which is just unhelpfully smearing more dirt across her face, and lightly brushes at her skin. With the pad of her thumb, Christen meticulously wipes away any traces of the mud on her cheek until every last speck is gone. 

(She ignores the way Tobin's cheeks heat up under her touch.)

[26]  
There's a knock on their hotel door and they both look at each other immediately. "That's room service," Tobin says, eyebrows raised in hopes that Christen will take the hint. 

"Yep," she pauses, "are you going to get it?"

"I thought you were going to get it," Tobin says, impatiently glancing towards the door. 

"I ordered it." Christen shrugs. "So you should be the one to answer the door."

Really, Tobin can't argue with that logic — especially without making the poor person who's delivering their food wait any longer — so she gets up and goes to open the door but not without shoving Christen lightly as she walks by her bed. 

[27]  
Tobin goes to catapult herself onto Christen's bed but Christen immediately puts her hand up with a shake of her head. "Please don't flop on the bed, my back is sore."

"Oh, okay." Tobin hesitates before sitting carefully on the edge of the mattress with her hand resting lightly on one of Christen's shins. She looks at Christen for a second. "Do you want a massage?"

[28]  
Tobin realizes her mistake as soon as Christen takes off her shirt to give her better access to the sore muscles underneath. She's glad Christen's back is to her so that she can't see the way Tobin blushes as she starts gently kneading the tight knots at the base of her neck. 

[29]  
"Is that better?" Tobin asks after about thirty minutes, the tips of her ears still warm to the touch. 

"Mmm-hmm," Christen hums tiredly, her head still tilted to one side like she's about to fall asleep. "Thank you."

"Oh, um, yeah, no problem," Tobin stumbles over her words as Christen turns around to face her, still only in a sports bra from the waist up. 

Tobin just about dies when Christen kisses her on the cheek before getting up to stretch. 

[30]  
"C'mon, Chris, come dance," Tobin pleads, insistently tugging on Christen's arm as she leans against the bar. 

"No way, you go have fun." Christen glances over Tobin's shoulders to look at the group of her teammates causing chaos in the middle of the dance floor and catches quite a few strangers staring at the large group. She shakes her head in amusement. 

"It won't be fun without you," Tobin mumbles but she drops Christen's arm when she sees the look she gives her and eventually wanders off with one last glance sent over her shoulder at Christen. Christen doesn't understand why she looks so disappointed. 

[31]  
"Chris?" Tobin asks into the dark, her face heating up slightly, after an hour of flopping and trying to ignore the light coming from Christen's phone. 

"Yeah?" Christen turns her head, not surprised that she's awake but confused. 

"Can we cuddle?"

Christen huffs out a laugh and sets her phone down on the nightstand. "Yeah, come 'ere."

[32]  
Tobin is on Christen's bed within seconds, crawling under the covers with a shy grin. They situate themselves like usual, with Christen's head tucked underneath Tobin's chin and her arms wrapped around her waist. 

"Why are you so cold?" Tobin mutters as she runs a hand up Christen's arm, the other one coming to rest on her shoulder. 

"Why are you so warm?" Christen says back, her reply muffled into Tobin's neck as she buries her face there, the tip of her nose so cold that it makes Tobin jump in surprise. 

(Tobin wakes up the next morning to Christen's breath ghosting across her cheek as she snores softly.)

[33]  
"Can I have a hug?"

The request surprises Tobin, especially since they're just getting ready for bed and Christen usually is more verbally affectionate than physically affectionate. Still, Tobin smiles easily and nods. "Always."

Something in the way Christen falls into the hug and sighs lets Tobin know that something's wrong. 

(But Tobin doesn't know what to do so she lets it go.)

[34]  
As soon as Christen starts hyperventilating and stuttering out all of her worries as Tobin holds onto her shaking hands, she wishes she had done something earlier.

[35]  
"Can we watch a movie?" Christen asks, her voice sounding unusually small after Tobin hauls her off the bathroom floor with an outstretched hand. Tobin nods easily, hoping it will take her mind off the game that has her panicking, and pulls Christen into a soft hug before they go to lay on the bed. 

"Of course."

[36]  
They end up putting on a terrible movie that neither of them really wants to see but Christen lays half on top of Tobin with her head on her chest and the terrible acting on screen is suddenly worth it. 

(Neither of them mention that the movie was really just a guise for Christen to be able to cuddle up into Tobin's side.)

[37]  
Christen wakes up in a cold sweat, one hand gripping a fistful of her curls and the other squeezing the fabric of her shirt. It's dark and her heart is racing, eyes having a harder time than usual adjusting to the darkness because of the tears blurring her vision. It slowly dawns on her that she fell asleep with her head on Tobin's chest, the movie they were supposed to be watching together still playing on screen. She's so out of it that it takes her a second to realize that there's now a soft hand on her shoulder and Tobin's gentle voice in her ear.

"Chris, you've gotta sit up." Tobin's tugging on her shoulder, trying to get her to take the hint. "It'll be easier to breathe if you sit up."

This time, Christen listens and slowly raises up and rests against the backboard of the bed. She lets her head fall back against the wood with a quiet thunk, eyes closed as Tobin flicks on the lamp. Christen closes her eyes tightly, gripping the fabric of the sheets hard enough that her knuckles turn white in an attempt to forget the imagines of her snapping her ankle in front of thousands of people. 

"Are you still worried about the game?" Tobin's soft voice cuts through Christen's fears easily. 

"Of course I'm still worried," Christen snaps, and then immediately her face softens, tears threatening to well up again. "Sorry."

"Hey, you're good." Tobin cautiously pulls Christen into her side so that she can rest her head on her shoulder, hesitating just enough that Christen could pull away if she wanted to. She doesn't. 

(They fall asleep as the credits of the movie start scrolling.)

[38]  
When they wake up the next morning — Christen's face so close to Tobin's that she can nearly count every one of her eyelashes — they both ignore the way their eyes flick down momentarily. 

[39]  
Tobin doesn't really know why Christen was so nervous about playing because she ends up scoring a goal right out of the gate and ultimately leading them to victory. During the celebrations, when the tension in Christen's shoulders has eased significantly and her jaw isn't tensed nearly as bad, Tobin practically tackles Christen into a hug.

"I knew you could do it," Tobin says, trying to convey how proud she is through how tightly she squeezes her arms around Christen's waist. 

"Thank you," Christen squeezes Tobin right back, "for believing in me."

"Always."

[40]  
Christen coerces Tobin into doing a face mask with her by swiping the green paint across her entire cheek with a mischievous grin. Tobin scrunches up her nose and sighs, picking up some of the remaining goop and wiping it on Christen's nose. By the time they wash the goo off of their faces, the green mask is also in Christen's hair, on Tobin's shirt, and all over the bathroom counters. 

[41]  
Tobin reaches up slowly, being careful not to startle Christen, and wipes an eyelash off her cheek easily. Christen looks on curiously as she holds up her index finger with a gentle smile. "Make a wish," Tobin murmurs, watching as Christen's eyelids flutter shut. 

Christen waits a beat and then softly blows the eyelash off Tobin's finger. She opens her eyes slowly and Tobin almost immediately wants to know what she wished for. 

(Tobin knows what she would wish for if she could.)

[42]  
It's been a long day and all Tobin really wants to do is curl up in her overly-soft hotel bed and sleep for a straight twenty-four hours. But, instead, she's stuck at mandatory team dinner for the next thirty minutes and the only thing keeping her sane is the way Christen's knee keeps brushing her thigh. It's also the only thing keeping her awake. She's so tired though. Tired enough that her inhibitions slip so much that Tobin doesn't even think before reaches out and grabs Christen's hand under the table.

To her credit, Christen doesn't say anything, just squeezes her hand softly and continues to talk to their teammates with more energy than Tobin can even attempt to muster. Slowly, she traces each of Christen's knuckles with her thumb, focusing on the smooth skin in an attempt to keep her eyes from drooping. Christen keeps glancing over at her out of the corner of her eye like she's checking to make sure she's still awake — not that Tobin really pays it much mind. 

Still, Tobin can't help but lean over and murmur, so that only Christen can hear, "Your hands are really soft." 

Tobin doesn't even care that Christen teases her about it because it's true. (It's worth it for the bashful smile on Christen's face and the way she gently squeezes Tobin's hand.)

[43]  
"I'm wearing this," Christen says, holding up Tobin's favorite sweatshirt, and Tobin sighs. 

"That's mine." Tobin stares at the hoodie for a second, a teasing smirk on her face. "And, I was planning on wearing it."

"Too late. First come, first serve." Christen tries to struggle into the sweatshirt but Tobin is immediately in front of her trying to pull it out of her grasp. 

"That doesn't apply when I actually own what you're trying to steal," Tobin huffs, holding onto Christen's wrist so that she can't lift the hoodie over her head. She weakly tries to pry the material out of her grasp, but it's really more of a teasing tug than anything else. 

"I'm not stealing, I'm borrowing it," Christen emphasizes while trying to keep a smile off of her face, weakly tugging on her wrist as Tobin laughs and shakes her head. 

"Fine, you can wear it." Tobin releases Christen's wrist like she just agreed to give up her firstborn child. "But if you stain it, you're buying me three new ones."

"Excessive," Christen mumbles but pulls the hoodie over her head anyway with a shit-eating grin. 

(Tobin can't even bring herself to care about the sweatshirt getting ruined when she sees how Christen looks in her clothes.)

[44]  
"Hey," Tobin says softly, placing her hand on Christen's arm so that's she'll look away from her laptop. Christen immediately softens when she glances up at Tobin and away from the emails she was trying to answer. "You okay?" 

Christen slumps against the pillows behind her and puts her head in her hands. She sighs, "Just tired."

"How about you take a break? Maybe leave the hotel and stretch your legs?" Tobin's eyebrows are knitted in concern as Christen raises her head. "Alex recommended a great coffee shop down the street to me."

[45]  
"I'm sorry that I made you order my coffee," Christen mumbles on their way back to the hotel, deliberately not looking over at Tobin. 

"Chris, I'm not judging you," Tobin says, squeezing Christen's arm reassuringly as she blushes with her eyes still on the pavement in front of them. 

"I know, it's just... it's really embarrassing," Christen says, practically whispering the last part of her sentence. "It's dumb to be nervous about talking to a barista."

"First of all, it's not dumb," Tobin reassures, casually bumping their shoulders together, "and secondly, I'll gladly order your coffee anytime if it makes you more comfortable. And if I get a free muffin out of it."

Christen laughs, her worries almost entirely forgotten when she sees the dopey grin on Tobin's face. "Deal."

[46]  
Tobin kisses her while they're supposed to be watching Finding Nemo and Christen's brain just about short-circuits. She nearly forgets to kiss her back she's so surprised but ends up catching Tobin right before she pulls away entirely and captures her lips fully once again. 

[47]  
Christen can't help but slide her hands under Tobin's shirt so that she can lightly trail her fingers along her abs — the same abs that she has definitely checked out one too many times to be appropriate. Tobin doesn't seem to mind though, even going as far as to lean into the touch slightly which is all the encouragement Christen needs to run her hands over as much skin as possible. 

[48]  
They kiss until they're out of breath. 

(And then they kiss some more.)

[49]  
They have to stop eventually because Christen already feels way too hot from what is only kissing and Tobin's driving her a little insane with the way she keeps biting at her bottom lip playfully. It's almost intoxicating, how Tobin's pupils are blown wide and her breath is coming out in short puffs that just barely tickle across Christen's cheek. Christen thinks that if anything could be considered perfect, it's this moment. 

[50]  
They fall asleep wrapped around each other so tightly that it's hard to tell where one of them begins and the other one ends. 

[51]  
Tobin wakes up with Christen's hair in her face and her nose pressed lightly into her cheek. 

(Tobin pulls back just so she can try to memorize every detail of Christen's face until her eyes squint open tiredly and she whispers a scratchy "good morning" with the most beautiful smile on her face. Then, Tobin doesn't think she'll ever forget this moment.)

[52]  
Christen leans up and kisses Tobin gently — morning breath and chapped lips be damned — with her hand resting lightly on Tobin's collarbone. "You know, I've been wanting to be able to do this for ages," Christen whispers, her lips just barely brushing across Tobin's cheek. 

"So why didn't you?" Tobin’s hand comes up to run along Christen's back. She gently presses the pads of her fingers to Christen's spine and traces the ridges of each vertebrae. 

"I wasn't sure if you were just being your naturally affectionate self or not," Christen mumbles, a pretty blush ghosting across her cheeks as she glances away shyly. "It's hard to tell with you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Tobin asks, her hand now pressed firmly against the back of Christen's neck. 

"You're really affectionate." Christen places a gentle kiss on Tobin's cheeks. "It's sweet but I didn't want to make any assumptions."

"I wish you would've," Tobin murmurs, blushing a little even as she laughs. 

"Well, can I now assume that this means I get to take you on a date?" 

"Definitely."

[53]  
A few things change after their first kiss. Most notably — to Tobin at least — is the way Christen kisses her right before they separate at the airport to go back to their club teams. Just out of the public view, Christen kisses her like her life depends on it. Tobin feels like crying. 

(Well, she does actually cry, but that's not the point.)

[54]  
Tobin tries to touch Christen through her phone screen, placing her fingertips right where she would if they were next to each other in real life instead of calling over FaceTime — her collarbone, the bridge of her nose, the worry lines on her forehead that appear when Tobin says something objectively stupid. 

It's not the same. 

[55]  
Christen isn't quite sure which one of them is smiling bigger when they finally see each other again and honestly, she doesn't really care with the way Tobin is barreling into her to wrap her up in the tightest hug possible. 

[56]  
On their first date, they go to a restaurant and eat — somewhat disappointing — meals that would definitely get Dawn's stamp of approval. At the end of the night, Tobin kisses Christen outside her hotel room (and they try to ignore the fact that at least three of their teammates are spying on them through the peepholes).

Tobin's never been so upset to not be rooming with Christen in her life. 

[57]  
"Good morning," Tobin says, leaning down and over Christen's chair slightly so that she can hear her over the loud chatter of their teammates as they eat breakfast. Tobin squeezes her on the shoulder gently before she heads to go get her food and misses the way Christen's eyes follow after her (and the way Ali throws a grape at Christen to get her attention while Ash fake gags).

[58]  
"I can't believe you nutmegged me today," Tobin pouts for what must be the tenth time in the last three hours and Christen laughs. 

"Sorry, babe." Christen kisses her on the temple quickly before anyone else in the hotel lobby can see and Tobin immediately brightens. 

[59]  
"Come to dinner with me and my family?" Christen asks after the game as they're standing around in the locker room. She wraps her arms around Tobin's waist loosely, dirt and grime long forgotten. 

"I— uh, really?" Tobin starts blushing before Christen even nods her head in confirmation. "I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be imposing. I'm sure they would all love to meet my girlfriend." Christen kisses her on the cheek, smiling softly at the warmth radiating from her skin. 

"Okay, yeah, that sounds fun." Tobin pauses for a second before she grins. "Do you think they'll give me the shovel talk?"

[60]  
"I can't believe your dad called us best friends." Tobin laughs, resting her forehead on Christen's shoulder as they wait for the elevator to take them up to their floor. 

"He didn't mean anything by it," Christen says, also laughing under her breath. Tobin nods. "Besides, we were best friends for a while."

"I got friendzoned." Tobin manages to school her face into a serious expression right as Christen glances down at her. 

"Shut up, you're such a dork." Christen rolls her eyes but kisses Tobin's forehead anyway right as the elevator doors slide open.

[61]  
"My head is killing me," Tobin murmurs during lunch the next day, letting her head fall down onto the table with a loud thunk. Everyone at the table ignores her dramatics except Christen, who runs a hand up her back soothingly. 

"I have Tylenol up in my room if you want some after we eat?"

"Yes please," Tobin says, words muffled by the fact that she's still face planted on the table. Christen laughs and pats her shoulder. 

[62]  
"Who's the man in the relationship?" Sonnett asks, straight-faced as Kelley dies of laughter from behind her. Tobin and Christen look at each other for a moment. 

"I'm taller so it's me," Christen deadpans, bumping her hip against Tobin's teasingly as she makes a noise of disagreement. 

"By less than an inch!" Tobin protests and Sonnett winces dramatically as she turns to look at Kelley. 

"I think I hit a sore spot." 

[63]  
After the third time Christen's blankets are yanked off of her, she rolls over and says into the dark, "Steal the covers one more time and I'm going to make use of the fact that this hotel room has two bed."

"You wouldn't dare," Tobin whispers but lets the blankets be tugged back over to Christen's side so that they're spread out evenly this time. "You know, if we were cuddling I wouldn't be able to steal the blankets from you."

Christen sighs but grins even though she knows Tobin can't see her. "Come over here, you doofus." Tobin lets out a quiet noise of excitement and then suddenly she’s in Christen's space, her arms immediately coming up to wrap around her midsection. 

"You're still so cold," Tobin whispers a few seconds later and Christen rolls her eyes. 

"Tobin I swear to god—"

"Sorry, sorry," Tobin laughs against Christen's cheek and Christen can't help but giggle tiredly.

"Goodnight," Christen drawls and Tobin takes the hint with one last small chuckle. 

"Night."

[64]  
"Can I hold your hand?" Tobin asks under her breath, hoping none of their teammates hear. She's mostly asking because they're at a crowded restaurant and honestly, Tobin's not even sure how she feels about PDA herself so she definitely doesn't know how Christen feels about it. 

Christen offers her hand out without thinking and Tobin's suddenly very glad she chose to sit on her right side so that they can hold hands without hassle. "Is everything okay?" Christen murmurs back, shooting Tobin a concerned glance subtly. Tobin shrugs noncommittally as she pulls Christen's hand into her lap and stares down at it shyly. "Tobs?"

"There's a lot of people in here," Tobin waits a beat, not looking at Christen as she holds onto her hand tightly, "and it's kinda loud."

"Babe." Christen shifts a little so that she can talk more directly to Tobin, thankful that their friends are talkative — and oblivious — enough to not notice immediately that they've both gone silent. "We can leave if you want."

"No, no, no," Tobin rushes out, not wanting to ruin anybody's fun, "I'm just a little overwhelmed. It's fine though, I'm good."

"Hey, how about we go take a quick break outside. Get a breath of fresh air?" 

Before Tobin can answer, her eyes obviously flitting towards the door of the restaurant, Pinoe interrupts them. "What are you two lovebirds talking about over there?"

"Oh, um actually," Christen answers quickly, "it's getting a little stuffy in here so I think I'm just going to go outside for a second."

"Oh, are you okay?" Ali leans over, placing her hand on Christen's arm gently. 

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be right back." Christen smiles warmly, rising up out of her chair and tugging on their intertwined hands. "Come with me please, Tobs?"

(Christen vaguely hears Pinoe mutter something about being in their "honeymoon phase" and it makes her smile even as she furrows her eyebrows at Tobin.)

[65]  
As soon as they're out of the restaurant and the cool night air hits them, Tobin breathes a sigh of relief. They find a bench nearby and Christen pulls Tobin down onto it with her. Christen tries to let go of her hand, wanting to give her space if she needs it, but Tobin just holds on to her hand tighter. "Please," Tobin whispers like she's scared Christen wants to pull away. 

"I'm not leaving, babe." Tobin doesn't say anything but she leans down and rests her head on Christen's shoulder. After a few moments of silence, Christen speaks again. "What's going through your head?"

"I'm sorry."

Christen's not exactly surprised that that's the first thing out of Tobin's mouth and she sighs softly. "You don't need to be embarrassed." Tobin picks her head up a little like she's about to argue but Christen shakes her head. "No, seriously. Tobs, everybody needs a break sometimes."

"I think I'm just tired." Tobin drops her head back down onto Christen's shoulder softly. 

"Why don't we go back to the hotel then, hmm?" Christen brings her hand up to run her fingers through Tobin's hair. "Maybe watch a movie instead?"

"I—" Tobin cuts herself off and frowns. "Yeah, can we?"

[66]  
They go back into the restaurant, Christen's hand on Tobin's lower back the entire time to comfort her as they weave through the crowd of people and tables. When they get back to their table, everybody glances up and over at them. "We're gonna head back to the hotel," Christen announces, "I'm really not feeling well."

"Oh, okay, feel better," Ali says, looking between Christen and Tobin like she can't quite figure out what's actually going on. 

"This should cover both of our meals," Christen says, pulling some money out of her wallet and handing it to Julie — who's least likely to lose it. 

"Can I have your leftovers?" Pinoe perks up, even as several hands reach out to smack her on the arm. 

Christen laughs and nods. "Feel free." She waves at everybody around the table. "Goodnight."

They leave the restaurant to a chorus of goodbye's and Christen's hand held tightly in Tobin's. 

[67]  
"Can you help me with my makeup?" Tobin asks shyly, glancing at Christen through the mirror as she finishes applying her own. Christen looks up, surprised. 

"I didn't think you were planning on wearing any," Christen says casually, accepting the bag of half-used supplies from Tobin's hand anyway. 

"I don't know, I just feel like it." Tobin shrugs, hopping up onto the bathroom counter so that Christen has a better angle. "Maybe I want to look nice for a special someone." Tobin winks and Christen laughs. 

"Sure," Christen says sarcastically, unscrewing the single foundation that Tobin has and gently starting to apply it to her face. "Hold still please."

[68]  
"This is a really pretty dress," Tobin says reverently, her eyes tracing the curves of Christen's body as she plays with one of the straps on her shoulder. 

"I could say the same to you." Christen brings her hands up to grip onto Tobin's hips, pulling her closer so that their bodies are pressed flush together. Tobin snakes an arm out and around Christen's waist, bringing her in for a soft kiss. They break apart after only a few seconds with equally disappointed sighs as Christen glances towards the clock on the wall. "We'll never live it down if we're late."

"I know," Tobin groans, pecking Christen's lips one last time before pulling away entirely. 

[69]  
The next game they play is tough. Really tough. With the Canadian players coming after Tobin disproportionately compared to her teammates — though one look at Lindsey's purple and blue shins gives her an idea of how bad the others got it as well. It doesn't help that the refs are either blind or bias, Tobin isn't quite sure which.

Tobin's frustrated as she comes off the field with Mal subbing in during the last two minutes of stoppage time. Frustrated at the refs, the Canadian players — specifically Chapman — and the way they're playing, and frustrated with herself for not converting. She's not usually a player that rates herself by goals she nets but god, she would have killed to rub a goal into the opposing side's smug faces.

Christen pats her on the back as she makes her way over to the bench, struggling to pull the pinny over her head as exhaustion starts to creep into every bone in her body. She collapses into the space left open for her beside Christen, immediately closing her eyes for a brief moment.

[70]  
Resting her eyes turns into almost falling asleep despite the fact that there are only two minutes left in the game. Still, Christen has to practically drag Tobin off the bench when the whistle blows with one hand wrapped around her wrist and the other guiding her by the lower back. 

(It's a miracle that Tobin doesn't collapse before she high-fives all the Canadian players and refs.)

[71]  
"I'm so tired," Tobin mumbles once they're back in the locker room, moving like she's about to take a shower even though she's clearly doesn't have the motivation to. Christen easily catches her arm, lightly tugging her back towards her. 

"I know, babe. How about we take a shower back at the hotel, yeah?"

"Chris I'm not really in the mood to—"

"That's not what I was implying, Tobs. I know you're exhausted," Christen says softly, hoping to maintain a small amount of privacy as the other girls move around the locker room. "Just let me take care of you, babe. I'm not gonna pull any moves on you."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Tobin murmurs, leaning more heavily into Christen as she relaxes now without having to think of showering immediately. 

[72]  
Tobin falls asleep on the bus ride back, her head resting on Christen's shoulder as she runs a hand through Tobin's tangled hair. 

[73]  
By the time they make it back to the hotel, Tobin’s half asleep as Christen drags her into the hotel room and they're both contemplating just going straight to bed. Christen wrinkles her nose at the thought though and sighs, setting both of their bags down on the floor and placing a hand on the space between Tobin’s shoulder blades. "Come on, babe, let's go shower."

[74]  
"Mmm, that feels nice," Tobin mumbles, eyes closed as Christen gently massages shampoo into her hair. 

"Don't fall asleep on me," Christen says, mostly teasing, as she tries to get rid of all the grass and other grime in Tobin's hair. Tobin nods slowly and Christen continues to softly scratch her nails over her scalp. 

"I'll try not to," Tobin murmurs like she's not trying very hard at all. 

[75]  
"Here," Christen says softly once they're both out of the shower and dried off, "put these on." She hands Tobin the softest pair of clothes she could find in both of their suitcases and runs a hand up and down her arm soothingly. 

"Thank you." Tobin leans into the touch, taking several seconds before she even attempts to put the clothes on. 

[76]  
Freshly showered and clothed, Christen sits down on the bed and pats the spot in front of her. "I know you're really tired," she says, "but you're going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow if I don't at least try to rub out some of the knots in your back."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Tobin nods, settling herself in between Christen's legs stiffly. "I can't promise to not start snoring though."

[77]  
"Does it hurt anywhere else, baby?" Christen murmurs, dropping a quick kiss to Tobin's shoulder after she finishes massaging out as many of the tight muscles in her back as she can. 

"My scalp," she says drowsily, a yawn punctuating her sentence. Confused, Christen hesitates. 

"Why does your scalp hurt?"

"One of the players caught my ponytail while I was making a run towards the box," Tobin mumbles, leaning back more fully into Christen's front. 

"They pulled your hair?" Christen asks softly, making a sympathetic noise as she starts to gently thread her fingers through Tobin's hair.

"I don't think it was on purpose," Tobin soothes Christen's worries easily, somehow sensing her anger without even turning around. "Besides, I don't think they pulled out enough hair to be able to clone my DNA."

Even with Tobin not facing her, Christen can tell she's grinning. She rolls her eyes, mumbling, "Dork," along with it. 

"Yeah, but you love it," Tobin murmurs, the lack of energy a stark contrast from her teasing tone a few moments ago.

[78]  
"Okay, since you're clearly already half-asleep,"  
Christen says, her tone light and teasing, "I think it's about time we go to bed."

"You think?" Tobin deadpans but she musters a dopey grin anyway when Christen laughs. 

"Okay, smartass, I can certainly sleep in the other bed tonight." Christen makes a move to get up like she's actually serious but Tobin keeps her in place by twisting around and pulling Christen into a hug. 

"Sorry," Tobin whines without even bothering to look apologetic as she smiles and bats her eyes at Christen. 

"No you're not, but I forgive you anyway." Christen kisses Tobin on the cheek, tugging on her shoulders so that they're finally laying down. She flicks the lamp off as Tobin makes herself comfortable curled up into Christen's side. 

"G'night, Chris, love you." She nudges her nose against Christen's shoulder as she rolls back over to bring one arm around Tobin's shoulder. 

"Love you too."

[79]  
"Your hands are so soft," Tobin murmurs, her right hand gently tracing the lines in Christen's palm. 

"I think you've told me that before." Christen laughs and kisses Tobin on the cheek in appreciation. 

"Then it must be true," Tobin says, shrugging casually as she starts playing with the rings on Christen's fingers. 

[80]  
"Where'd this scar come from?" Christen asks, tracing the raised skin right behind Tobin's left ear. Tobin shivers at the soft touch, leaning into Christen's hand a little. 

"My brother." Tobin huffs. "He threw a spoon at me."

Christen laughs until she can't breathe. (Especially when she finds out Tobin was fifteen at the time.)

[81]  
"What's cookin' good lookin'?" Tobin asks as she sits down next to Christen for team breakfast. Christen snorts into her cup of coffee as Tobin casually slings an arm around the back of her chair. 

"I might have to breakup with you just for that," Christen teases, a small smile on her face as she leans a little closer to Tobin. 

[82]  
Tobin is curled up in bed, scrolling through her phone mindlessly to pass the time while Christen showers. Her eyes are drooping as the words on the screen start to blur together until Tobin's eyes are completely shut. She's almost asleep when the bathroom door clicks open and Christen pads into the room. 

Immediately, Tobin inhales and smiles softly. Christen smells like a million different fantastic things all at once. Her vanilla shampoo and coconut conditioner mingle in the air and Tobin instantly relaxes.

Christen crawls into bed next to Tobin as she sets her phone down on the nightstand, instinctively moving to wrap her arms around Christen tightly. Tobin buries her nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply to smell lilac body wash and the barest hints of peach face wash. The skin here is soft, smells slightly of blackberry lotion, and is sensitive enough for Christen to be able to feel Tobin's warm smile against her skin. 

"You smell good," Tobin breathes out even as she yawns, cuddling closer to her. 

"You always say that," Christen laughs softly at her sleepy girlfriend, shifting so her wet hair isn't dripping on her face.

[83]  
Tobin falls asleep with one hand loosely gripping onto Christen's shirt and her nose nuzzled into the soft skin of Christen's neck. She barely even notices when Christen starts quietly snoring directly into her ear, too content to even care. 

[84]  
They're sitting on the couch in Tobin's apartment, Christen with her legs resting in Tobin's lap as they quietly lounge around. Christen is reading and Tobin's acting like she's watching a tennis match on TV but she's more focused on tracing patterns into Christen's skin than she is on the players on screen. She's outlining Christen's tan lines so intently it's almost like she's trying to memorize them — but Christen's not really sure why considering they have the same exact soccer tan. As her fingers start slowly moving down her legs, tracing lines gently on her calf, Christen kicks her leg out hard enough to get Tobin's hand off of her. 

"Stop that." She laughs lightly as Tobin pouts. "It tickles and I'm trying to read."

"My bad." Tobin grins and moves her hand back to Christen's knee. 

(Christen gives up on reading ten minutes later when Tobin's fingers move to the top of her thighs.)

[85]  
"Tobin, there's a fucking hickey on my neck," Christen squeaks, eyes trained on the bruise as Tobin looks over. 

"Oops," Tobin says innocently, avoiding the fire in Christen's eyes by leaning down to kiss the hickey on her neck softly. "All better."

"That’s not how that works."

[86]  
"Uh-uh," Christen says warningly, shaking her head at Tobin, "don't come near me until you wash your hands."

Tobin glances down at her hands, which are absolutely covered in paint, and then back up to Christen with a frown. "Can I at least have a kiss?" Tobin sticks out her lips in exaggeration and Christen rolls her eyes but complies with the request anyway. 

[87]  
"What's for dinner?" Christen asks when her stomach starts growling, which Tobin can definitely hear considering she's laying on top of Christen with her head pressing into her stomach. 

"I don't know." Tobin raises her head to look at Christen. "Pizza?"

"Ha. Yeah, right. I wish."

[88]  
"Is this my shirt?" Tobin asks with a small smile, tugging on the material in question. 

"I mean, it was in your closet so I would hope so." 

"Sorry I asked," Tobin teases, and Christen laughs, kissing her quickly. "It looks good on you."

[89]  
"Mmm, you taste like coffee," Tobin mumbles against Christen's lips, leaning in to kiss her again. 

"Well, guess what I brought you?" Christen laughs, brandishing a cup of coffee as Tobin gasps excitedly. 

"Best girlfriend ever," Tobin says, punctuating each word with a kiss until Christen is giggling too hard to pucker her lips. 

[90]  
"Chris, did you take your meds this morning?" Tobin asks softly — hoping to avoid the listening ears of their teammates — after ten minutes of watching Christen stab at her food but not eat it, instead cradling her stomach gently. 

"Oh my god," Christen says, head shooting up with wide eyes, "I forgot this morning."

"You might want to do that after dinner," Tobin says, a teasing grin on her face, and Christen nods. 

"How did you know?" Christen asks after a beat, nudging Tobin's thigh with her knee. 

"The last time you forgot you were, like, crazy nauseous all day." Tobin shrugs. "Figured that might be happening again."

"I— thank you," Christen says, a little dumbfounded, and kisses Tobin on the cheek quickly. 

From across the table, Pinoe fake gags.

[91]  
"I love you," Tobin says, her words coming out garbled as she talks around her toothbrush. Christen looks at her pointedly before wiping off the toothpaste she had spit onto the counter with a Kleenex. 

"You know how people say not to talk with food in their mouth?" Christen asks. "Maybe you shouldn't talk with toothpaste in your mouth."

Tobin pouts, spitting into the sink and then weakly kicking at Christen’s ankles. "So you don't love me?"

"Of course I love you." Christen rolls her eyes and kisses Tobin to prove her point. "Even when you taste like expired toothpaste."

[92]  
"Ice pack?" Tobin asks, pulling one out of the freezer with a sympathetic glance towards Christen. 

"Yes, please." Christen sighs from where she's sitting on the kitchen counter, rubbing at her knee in annoyance. Tobin brings it over to her and presses it onto her knee as Christen hisses at the sudden cold. 

"Sorry." Tobin rubs at Christen's thigh in a poor attempt to warm her up and then drops a kiss on her collarbone lightly. "At least you'll have a badass scar."

"Like that one behind your ear?" Christen teases and immediately Tobin groans. 

[93]  
"I love you to the moon and back," Tobin says, holding up a block of cheese and gesturing at it excitedly. 

"Wha—"

"Because the moon is made of cheese," Tobin explains, the proudest grin Christen's ever seen on her face. 

Christen makes a point to go out of her way and shove Tobin on the shoulder as she laughs hysterically. 

[94]  
"Babe, it's hailing!" Christen says excitedly, dragging Tobin by the arm so that she'll look out the window with her. 

"I see that." Tobin smiles softly when she sees the childlike wonder on Christen's face. 

"I've only seen hail, like, once in my life," Christen says, face close enough to the window that her breath keeps fogging it up. 

"Well, I'd say we could go outside and see it but we'd probably end up with golfball-sized bruises all over our bodies." Tobin laughs and Christen shoots her a glare. 

"You ruined the moment."

[95]  
Christen kisses Tobin softly before pulling away with a weird look on her face. "Want some chapstick, Tobs?" Christen asks and Tobin cracks a grin. 

"Are you trying to tell me my lips are chapped?"

"Maybe," Christen says, kissing Tobin on the cheek in consolation. 

"Well, maybe I'll just steal the chapstick from your lips." Tobin kisses Christen again but as soon as she pulls away, Christen smirks. 

"It didn't work, I'm getting you some chapstick."

[96]  
On their last night together for a while, Tobin puts on Finding Nemo and they both curl up under the blankets on the couch. Christen ends up practically sitting in Tobin's lap, her head blocking half the TV screen from Tobin's view but she doesn't mind, especially when Christen turns her head around and kisses Tobin languidly. 

"I'm going to miss you," she murmurs when they pull apart and they both pretended that they don't desperately want to cry. 

[97]  
"I'll see you soon," Christen says, her voice shaking slightly as she holds Tobin as tightly as possible. 

"Not soon enough." Tobin nuzzles her nose against the soft skin of Christen's neck, hoping that she won't end up crying in public. 

"Utah plays Portland in three weeks, Tobs." Christen strokes Tobin's hair softly as she gently tugs on her shoulder so that she'll pull away to look at her. "I'll be there in no time to add another win to our team's streak."

"You're not going to win," Tobin chokes out as she finally pulls away to look Christen in the eyes. They both laugh wetly, Christen wiping at her cheeks furiously. 

"We'll see."

[98]  
Three weeks later, Tobin is in line surrounded by all of her other teammates with a little girl's hand in her's when there's a sudden, light tap on her shoulder. Tobin looks behind her to see Christen grinning several feet away, eyebrows raised challengingly. "Good luck," she mouths exaggeratedly so that Tobin can understand, "you're going to need it."

Tobin would've flipped her off if there weren't so many children and cameras around but instead, she shrugs and mouths, "Right back at ya," before they start filing out into the arena. 

[99]  
Tobin definitely fouls Christen near the end of the game and she knows she's lucky the ref doesn't even so much as glance their way. Christen knows it too if the way she sends a glare and a huff her way as she rubs at the sore spot on her arm is anything to go by. 

(Still, the Utah Royals win 1-0.)

[100]  
They high-five at the end of the game. 

(Tobin thinks Christen's hands are as soft as ever.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank god for Sunday break days when I don’t have to work, am I right fellas? Anyways, hopefully there’s more to come as long as I don’t gravely injure myself on the job. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment because they make me so excited🥰


End file.
